Court Rejects Bail Plea in $400K Money Laundering Case Involving U.S. Citizen

The Rouse Avenue court dismissed Lakshay Vij's bail plea in a money laundering case tied to a $400K fraud involving a US citizen. Judge Gaurav Rao emphasized the nascent stage of the investigation and potential witness tampering as reasons for the dismissal.

The Rouse Avenue court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Lakshay Vij in a money laundering case. This case involves a $400,000 fraud concerning a U.S. citizen and its laundering through various bank accounts of bogus entities.

Special Judge Gaurav Rao denied Vij's bail application, citing the early stage of the investigation. The judge noted the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of evidence tampering if Vij were released on bail.

Special public prosecutors Manish Jain, Simon Benjamin, and Snehal Sharda appeared for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and opposed the bail application. During the investigation, it was revealed that the fraud proceeds had been converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to multiple entities.

(With inputs from agencies.)